Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Onesti Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Onesti

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,115 in Onesti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,690 in Onesti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,265 in Onesti.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 106% more expensive than in Onesti, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Onesti is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.31

$11.27 RON 51.6

56.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.7

$43.42 RON 199

44.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.08

$7.53 RON 34.51

53.78%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.96 RON 13.56

4.73%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.17

$2.22 RON 10.18

12.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.83 RON 8.38

-4.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.37 RON 15.45

3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.05 RON 18.56

-15.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.10 RON 5.04

4.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.37 RON 6.28

39.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.05 RON 9.41

-26.83%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.25 RON 14.91

22.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.57

$7.71 RON 35.31

72.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.97

$6.49 RON 29.74

23.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.70

$10.17 RON 46.59

77.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.09 RON 4.98

115.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.56 RON 7.16

12.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.81 RON 8.30

2.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.21 RON 10.12

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.94 RON 4.32

95.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.97 RON 4.45

116.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.23 RON 5.64

21.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.65 RON 2.96

26.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$6.75 RON 30.92

5.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.14

$5.44 RON 24.92

8.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.37 RON 6.27

-4.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.15 RON 9.86

-0.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.79 RON 3.60

198.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

$23.04 RON 106

102.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.86 RON 3.95

374.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.92 RON 4.23

23.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

$8.64 RON 39.56

97.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.56 RON 7.15

48.08%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.1K €29.7K

$29.7K RON 136.1K

14.87%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.4K €36.0K

$29.3K RON 134.1K

41.33%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$169 €147

$190 RON 868

-11.08%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.33 €16.83

$7.78 RON 35.64

148.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.17

$9.08 RON 41.59

269.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.51

$40.46 RON 185

20.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.92

$21.43 RON 98.2

-9.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.33

$9.12 RON 41.80

4.93%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$696 €606

$411 RON 1,882

69.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$7,467 RON 34.2K

132.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$39.66 RON 182

165.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.56

$40.29 RON 185

18.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$96.8 RON 444

3.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$94.5 RON 433

31.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,446

$403 RON 1,845

312.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,085

$299 RON 1,368

317.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,580

$624 RON 2,857

375.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,783

$477 RON 2,185

329.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,819

$1,914 RON 8,767

309.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,886

$1,400 RON 6,413

218.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,420

$663 RON 3,039

145.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

7.18

-47.35%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Onesti: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $403 in Onesti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 146% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $43.00 in Onesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $205 per month, with Onesti cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Onesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Onesti differ by about 106% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,115 including rent). Onesti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 146% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $403 in Onesti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $411 in Onesti. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,115 in Onesti versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Onesti but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Onesti the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Onesti are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Onesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.